A Little Bit Country
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- Create Date：2022-05-07 09:51:40
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Brian D. Kennedy
- ISBN：0063085658
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Summary
Emmett Maguire has big dreams。 He wants to be country music’s biggest gay superstar—a far reach when you're 17 and living in suburban Illinois。 Thankfully， his parents are letting him do the next best thing for the summer: stay with his aunt in Jackson Hollow， Tennessee， and perform at Wanda World—the amusement park owned by his idol， country music legend Wanda Jean Stubbs。
Luke Barnes， a 17-year-old Jackson Hollow resident， has no interest in country music。 As the grandson of Verna Rose， the disgraced country singer who had a famous falling out with Wanda Jean， the world of country music has only brought his family pain。 But as medical bills pile up at home， he’s forced to accept a job in the last place he’d ever want to work: a restaurant at Wanda World。
With Emmett focused on his career， and Luke blossoming in the kitchen， neither boy is expecting to find romance。 But sparks fly when they meet and soon the two are inseparable。 However， when a long-lost secret about Luke’s grandma and superstar Wanda Jean comes to light， it threatens to unravel everything。 Unless the boys can uncover the truth of what really happened， their dreams could be over before they start， leaving their new relationship to go down in history as just another Sad Country Love Song。
Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli， Julie Murphy， and of course， the one and only Dolly Parton。
Luke Barnes， a 17-year-old Jackson Hollow resident， has no interest in country music。 As the grandson of Verna Rose， the disgraced country singer who had a famous falling out with Wanda Jean， the world of country music has only brought his family pain。 But as medical bills pile up at home， he’s forced to accept a job in the last place he’d ever want to work: a restaurant at Wanda World。
With Emmett focused on his career， and Luke blossoming in the kitchen， neither boy is expecting to find romance。 But sparks fly when they meet and soon the two are inseparable。 However， when a long-lost secret about Luke’s grandma and superstar Wanda Jean comes to light， it threatens to unravel everything。 Unless the boys can uncover the truth of what really happened， their dreams could be over before they start， leaving their new relationship to go down in history as just another Sad Country Love Song。
Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli， Julie Murphy， and of course， the one and only Dolly Parton。
Reviews
Anita Kelly
，
This is one of those books I knew I would love before I even read a single page but then I loved it EVEN MORE。
Kit
，
I really wanted to love this book。I hate writing reviews for books I didn’t like， but I think this one is the saddest of them all。 Not only did I receive an advanced copy of this book， but my interest in this book was formed because of a tweet made by the author himself。But let’s talk about the book。This book focuses on three different conflicts。 The first focuses on Emmett， a young country singer who wants to break down the heteronormative views of country music and become a popular gay country I really wanted to love this book。I hate writing reviews for books I didn’t like， but I think this one is the saddest of them all。 Not only did I receive an advanced copy of this book， but my interest in this book was formed because of a tweet made by the author himself。But let’s talk about the book。This book focuses on three different conflicts。 The first focuses on Emmett， a young country singer who wants to break down the heteronormative views of country music and become a popular gay country artist。The second focuses on Luke， who is a closeted gay teen we’ll talk a little more about later。And the third is between Wanda Jean and Verna Rose， two country singers who used to be very close。 Until they weren’t。Because a lot of this book focuses on country music， there are a lot of lyrics in the text。 And I want to be fully honest by saying first and foremost that I skipped a lot of these lyrics。 I know a lot of other readers also like to skip song lyrics when they pop up in stories， so anyone who also doesn’t enjoy reading lyrics may want to know that there are quite a few sections of lyrics in this book。I did， however， really enjoy Emmett’s side to this story。 I liked seeing him try to become a famous gay country star， even if country music is largely heteronormative。However， I didn’t care one way or another for Wanda Jean and Verna Rose’s side of the story， and I hated Luke as a character。A lot of Luke’s side of the story is him hiding important things about himself from his family and friends in order to “protect” them。 Most of this protection focuses on his mom， who has multiple sclerosis and who he doesn’t want to relapse by telling her that he’s gay and wants to work as a chef， and his ex girlfriend， whose feelings he doesn’t want to hurt if he reveals that he just doesn’t like women。As someone who thinks you can absolutely make a family out of people who support you and cut out the people who don’t， I hated reading Luke’s point of view。 His hesitance to tell the people in his life even the most basic details about himself made me angry。 But even worse， I hated reading him treat Emmett like trash in order to keep hiding his own identity and “protect” the people who didn’t need his protection。 Multiple times throughout this book， Emmett needs to sneak around and hide their relationship。 My eventual “fuck Luke， he can never recover from this” moment was closer to the end of the book， in a scene where Emmett has something really important to say to Luke and tries to catch him near the dumpsters of his job for a couple of seconds， only for Luke to tell him that he shouldn’t be there and push him away。Emmett deserves better。There’s a twist near the end of this book， but I didn’t find it that surprising。 Early on in this book， I had a prediction。 I had wanted to write down when exactly I formed a prediction， but I seem to have lost that note for myself。 But either way， this book reveals a twist at 91% of the way through that ends up being the exact detail I had predicted。 I think anyone even vaguely genre-savvy would be able to pick up on this twist， as it seems very obvious。But maybe that’s just me。As much as I liked Emmett’s side of the story， it just can’t make up for the rest of this book， and I have to rate this entire story two stars。 。。。more
Dustin Street
，
Okay， this book warmed my East Tennessee， Dollywood-loving heart。 Brian nailed this story with two protagonists that stole the show in completely different ways！I loved the dynamics of this story， the complicated mess of emotions that exist between two people trying to figure out if what they have together is worth the trouble （you’ll have to read to see the answer to that！） and all of the intense questioning and self-reflection that come with it。Wanda World is clearly a love letter to Dollywood Okay， this book warmed my East Tennessee， Dollywood-loving heart。 Brian nailed this story with two protagonists that stole the show in completely different ways！I loved the dynamics of this story， the complicated mess of emotions that exist between two people trying to figure out if what they have together is worth the trouble （you’ll have to read to see the answer to that！） and all of the intense questioning and self-reflection that come with it。Wanda World is clearly a love letter to Dollywood， a magical place at which I’ve spent countless hours in my life。 Brian gets the atmosphere SO right， and it was delightful reading a story set in a similar place。This book will definitely appeal to Robbie Couch and Phil Stamper fans with its wit and tenderness， as well as Julie Murphy fans， with its healthy dose of Southern charm and tribute to all things country！Bravo to Brian on a fun， charming debut that left me very emotional in several spots toward the end！ 。。。more
Beth
，
Aww， this was so fun！！！ I grew up listening to nothing but country music。， From Tim McGraw to the Chicks to Reba to Brooks and Dunn， 90's country was my shit。 My tastes have changed pretty much 180 since my childhood， but this book brought me right back to those days of sitting in my old 2000 jeep at the barn， listening to country music。 Loved the references throughout， and both Luke and Emmett were fully fleshed out characters who had unique voices。 While there is **thankfully** no shortage of Aww， this was so fun！！！ I grew up listening to nothing but country music。， From Tim McGraw to the Chicks to Reba to Brooks and Dunn， 90's country was my shit。 My tastes have changed pretty much 180 since my childhood， but this book brought me right back to those days of sitting in my old 2000 jeep at the barn， listening to country music。 Loved the references throughout， and both Luke and Emmett were fully fleshed out characters who had unique voices。 While there is **thankfully** no shortage of queer teen romaces these days， this one is certainly as standalone in the best ways。 。。。more
Riddhi B。
，
This was。。。 something。You know what， let's just get right into it-Plot:The plot was actually pretty good， as it combined two of my favourite things- cooking and music。 And then there was the entire Wanda Jean mystery and every thing， so that was a plus too！ The plot was actually something I'd give four stars out of five。 The point five would go because of instalove， and the plot becoming incessantly cliched at the end。Characters:For some reason， I did not like Emmett。 Like I think he was meant t This was。。。 something。You know what， let's just get right into it-Plot:The plot was actually pretty good， as it combined two of my favourite things- cooking and music。 And then there was the entire Wanda Jean mystery and every thing， so that was a plus too！ The plot was actually something I'd give four stars out of five。 The point five would go because of instalove， and the plot becoming incessantly cliched at the end。Characters:For some reason， I did not like Emmett。 Like I think he was meant to be the likeable one， and Luke was the grumpy one， but that just didn't work out。 There was a line in the book， where he goes if he had to choose between his music career and Luke， he'd choose Luke， and that was just a big。。 no。 I mean， I get that he loved him and everything， but he was just 17！ Any practical person would not throw their career away for love at 17！ That was something that irked me very much。Writing Style:This is where the book lost most of it's points for me。 There just wasn't a depth to the writing， and the things flew too fast for me- nothing was explored completely。 And like， there was so much potential to the plot， but it just wasn't covered。You should still read it if you're looking for a cute gay romance！Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours， Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy。 All views are my own。 。。。more
Julie Tieu
，
A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY is so adorable。 I can't even。Country music lover Emmett gets a chance to perform at a Dollywood-esque Wanda World for the summer。 He dreams of being country music's biggest gay superstar。 Luke is a local to Jackson's Hollow， where Wanda World is located。 He dreams of becoming a chef and when he gets the opportunity to work in a kitchen at Wanda World， he takes it even though his ailing mom is against Wanda World。 Emmett and Luke has one of the best meet-cutes I've ever read A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY is so adorable。 I can't even。Country music lover Emmett gets a chance to perform at a Dollywood-esque Wanda World for the summer。 He dreams of being country music's biggest gay superstar。 Luke is a local to Jackson's Hollow， where Wanda World is located。 He dreams of becoming a chef and when he gets the opportunity to work in a kitchen at Wanda World， he takes it even though his ailing mom is against Wanda World。 Emmett and Luke has one of the best meet-cutes I've ever read and their romance is so sweet and tender。 They face plenty of obstacles like their ambitions， some family drama， and Luke's valid concerns that keep him closeted， but Emmett and Luke are so cute together。 I want to give them a big hug！Brian Kennedy's writing and humor keeps the story moving， engaging， and lighthearted。 There are so many gems embedded in this story that made me laugh out loud。 A true joy to read。 。。。more
Lacy
，
Wanda Jean is the Dolly Parton that would exist in the Red， White & Royal Blue Universe and you can't change my mind。 Nobody owes their story to the world。 But maybe it’s not about owing your story。 Maybe it’s about wanting other people to know。 Luke and Emmett both find themselves with Summer jobs at Wanda World。 They literally run into each other and their Summer romance blossoms quickly from there。 But while they are navigating their different jobs and relationships， Emmett is learn Wanda Jean is the Dolly Parton that would exist in the Red， White & Royal Blue Universe and you can't change my mind。 Nobody owes their story to the world。 But maybe it’s not about owing your story。 Maybe it’s about wanting other people to know。 Luke and Emmett both find themselves with Summer jobs at Wanda World。 They literally run into each other and their Summer romance blossoms quickly from there。 But while they are navigating their different jobs and relationships， Emmett is learning what it really means to be famous and that your idols are only human too。 But Emmett also teaches Luke that it's okay to dream and take chances。 They seemed to really balance each other out。 Overall， A Little Bit Country is a cute Summer story。 I don't like that we don't really get to know the characters interests outside of cooking and music。 I don't like the kind of abrupt ending。 What happened at the end of Summer？ It was this big looming thing all through the book but we never even get to see it。 In the distance， a blue haze is pulled across the Smoky Mountains like a blanket。 Aunt Karen says it’s fog rising up from the vegetation。 Like the mountain’s releasing a breath of air。 Soooo。。。。 the mountains are releasing the breath they didn't know they were holding？？？ 👀 I'll see myself out now。 😂*Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books， Balzer + Bray for providing me with a review copy。 Quotes are subject to change upon publication。* 。。。more
José Guerreiro
，
This book will have you dancing ✨
piper | monarchsandmyths
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thank you to netgalley and the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for review！ Queer southerners and/or country music lovers rise up this is the YA romance for you。 I got through this book so quickly and genuinely enjoyed it so much， even though it did make me cry a few times， for different reasons。 Both of the main characters have so much love and passion， even with the various personal struggles they face。 There are definitely some cliche moments but this book still manages to ma thank you to netgalley and the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for review！ Queer southerners and/or country music lovers rise up this is the YA romance for you。 I got through this book so quickly and genuinely enjoyed it so much， even though it did make me cry a few times， for different reasons。 Both of the main characters have so much love and passion， even with the various personal struggles they face。 There are definitely some cliche moments but this book still manages to make them their own and shine！ So， Emmett might not be country music’s biggest gay superstar just yet， but he’s country music’s biggest gay superstar in my heart （well。。。maybe tied but I don’t want to spoil anything）。As a queer southerner myself， there’s a special place in my heart for media that shows queer people in the South。 Admittedly， Emmett isn’t actually southern， but this book doesn’t fall prey to the common “progressive” idea that the North is better than the South。 Sure， he has an idealistic view， but it’s from a good place， and it’s one he’s willing to adapt to。 It hurt a bit， but I saw a lot of myself in Luke， and I was overjoyed to watch his character arc as he explored himself and allowed himself to be put first where it mattered。 These characters are filled with so much want， even the side characters， but they never let it become something selfish。 I’m not saying I rooted for every character， and there were plenty of flaws to be had， but for the most part I was excited to see what would happen next。 I would almost say that I wanted more of the side characters because I thought what little bits we learned about them were so good。 Overall， I think the plot was realistically predictable， in a good way。 The little twists were unexpected and well played out， and the bigger ones that are basically necessary for any romance felt like they flowed with the overall plot。 While this is a story about queer joy and discovery though， I think it’s important to note that there are moments of homophobia that play a role。 That said， I don’t think it was overstated or gratuitous， and queer joy definitely wins the day on this one。 At the end of the day， I think I could talk about this book for ages。 There are so many quotes I wish I could pull and shout about because they were so good， from fun， original song lyrics to moments that made me sob。 This book gave me everything I wanted out of it， love and discovery and a dash of pulling on my heart strings， almost like the recipe for the perfect country。 So if this even remotely sounds like something you’re interested in， I couldn’t recommend it enough。 Because who doesn’t want to meet country music’s future biggest gay superstar and his dream cowboy？ 。。。more
Shay | Books Are Magic Too
，
Sometimes a book coming out just speaks to your heart， and for me， it was this one。 A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY was on my most anticipated YA reads list for 2022， and I was thrilled to be given an advance copy thanks to HaperCollins/Balzer + Bray + TBR and Beyond Tours - catch my stop on the tour on 6/3！After working in the country music industry here in Ohio for 2 years， this one just screamed must-read for me， and I loved everything about the synopsis。 That gorgeous cover alone made it one I had to h Sometimes a book coming out just speaks to your heart， and for me， it was this one。 A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY was on my most anticipated YA reads list for 2022， and I was thrilled to be given an advance copy thanks to HaperCollins/Balzer + Bray + TBR and Beyond Tours - catch my stop on the tour on 6/3！After working in the country music industry here in Ohio for 2 years， this one just screamed must-read for me， and I loved everything about the synopsis。 That gorgeous cover alone made it one I had to have， and I cannot wait for my preorder copy to arrive （head to Brian's page to snag the cutest promo item， it's perfect！） There were so many things to love about this book:COUNTRY MUSIC Um， hello， if you're a country music fan， where have the country music books been， I need MORE books about the heart of Nashville， ASAP This was something I myself had never read and I just loved it！ While a few recent reads focused on the music industry that I enjoyed （Kiss & Tell， If This Gets Out） there was something so wonderful and unique with this Wanda World setting that just made me happy。 Dolly Parton inspired， anyone who has idolized a singer will relate to the feelings Emmett & Luke both have for such a big star。 While I'm always someone who devours as many diverse + LGBTQIA+ titles， I had so much appreciation for the characters Kennedy created。 Being out is so different for each individual， and these characters was inspirational。 Anyone can overcome obstacles， family struggles， and the circumstances they can't control while still remembering it's okay to DREAM BIG。 Fall in love with Luke & Emmett as they find themselves， and learn that getting older comes with great responsibility but that life can be full of fun and surprises。 Some pretty great twists made me love this book even more， I cannot wait for ya'll to read it！ It may be Kennedy's debut， but I hope there are many more books to come written by him。 。。。more
Melanie
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Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours， Netgalley， and Harper Collins for an arc of this book。Emmett is looking to become country's biggest gay music star and moves to Jackson Hollow for a summer job at a country-singer-themed amusement park to try and make his dreams come true。 There he meets Luke， working at a restaurant and hiding so many parts of himself from his mom to save her from hurt。 They come up with a plan for Emmett to use Luke's nana's old lyrics to get ahead and get Luke money for his Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours， Netgalley， and Harper Collins for an arc of this book。Emmett is looking to become country's biggest gay music star and moves to Jackson Hollow for a summer job at a country-singer-themed amusement park to try and make his dreams come true。 There he meets Luke， working at a restaurant and hiding so many parts of himself from his mom to save her from hurt。 They come up with a plan for Emmett to use Luke's nana's old lyrics to get ahead and get Luke money for his family。This was very cute。 I will be the first to say that I know so very little about country music that I actually wasn't sure if Wanda Jean Stubbs was a real person or not at first。 But that didn't matter。 Luke and Emmett were both very cute characters and I enjoyed the journey。This dealt with some big themes about coming out and religious bigotry and being yourself in a small town。 I definitely enjoyed the ride！ Content WarningsGraphic: Homophobia， Religious bigotry， and Chronic illnessModerate: Sexual contentMinor: Outing 。。。more
Tommy Delk
，
This heartwarming and deep rom com set at a Dollywood-esque country music star’s theme park checked every single box I had going in。 Swoon-worthy cowboy with dreams of chefdom？ Check。 Cinnamon-roll， bright-eyed singer？ Check。 Twists and turns？ Check。 Romance to make your heart flutter？ Triple check。 This was a beautiful story intertwining two separate personal stories and two boys in different places in their lives， and it’s done with so much charm and grace it’s impossible not to fall in love w This heartwarming and deep rom com set at a Dollywood-esque country music star’s theme park checked every single box I had going in。 Swoon-worthy cowboy with dreams of chefdom？ Check。 Cinnamon-roll， bright-eyed singer？ Check。 Twists and turns？ Check。 Romance to make your heart flutter？ Triple check。 This was a beautiful story intertwining two separate personal stories and two boys in different places in their lives， and it’s done with so much charm and grace it’s impossible not to fall in love with them。 The small Tennessee town atmosphere is perfectly—and lovingly—rendered （trust me I should know） and conjures what might be the perfect vibe of hot summers katydids singing and personal discoveries being made。 Side characters were real and fleshed out， and the pacing is perfect as the story moves like a snowball downhill。 I adored this book and recommend everyone read it！！ 。。。more
laurel [the suspected bibliophile]
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It was good， but holy hell there is a lot of casual homophobia。 I get why it was there， and I understand why Luke acted the way he did， but it was still hard。Full RTC。I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
Dani Kass
，
I have extremely mixed feelings about this book。 The writing was excellent and I loved Luke and Emmett and Verna and Wanda。 It was a joyful， emotional read， and I had a hard time putting it down。But it was also。。。 wildly antiunion？ The entire premise is based on someone taking on scab work， and then he clocks out before working overtime， and job losses at a union shop are blamed on the union rather than on the employer？？ I think the author is just ignorant， but it was playing up some real harmfu I have extremely mixed feelings about this book。 The writing was excellent and I loved Luke and Emmett and Verna and Wanda。 It was a joyful， emotional read， and I had a hard time putting it down。But it was also。。。 wildly antiunion？ The entire premise is based on someone taking on scab work， and then he clocks out before working overtime， and job losses at a union shop are blamed on the union rather than on the employer？？ I think the author is just ignorant， but it was playing up some real harmful things。 I also think the last chapter was too much of a jump and that it was wrong to have such a pivotal scene take place between chapters。 Almost lazy。Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jack Nix
，
Thank you to NetGalley for this Kindle edition ARC！ A book that any queer person with a bit of love for the ladies of country music NEEDS to read。 I found myself flying through this book because it is structured so well - with alternating chapters from the perspectives of the two main characters - Luke and Emmett。 Emmett is out and proud with big dreams to be the first major openly gay country star， but Luke shoves his goal of becoming a chef down deep - along with his sexuality。 When the two bo Thank you to NetGalley for this Kindle edition ARC！ A book that any queer person with a bit of love for the ladies of country music NEEDS to read。 I found myself flying through this book because it is structured so well - with alternating chapters from the perspectives of the two main characters - Luke and Emmett。 Emmett is out and proud with big dreams to be the first major openly gay country star， but Luke shoves his goal of becoming a chef down deep - along with his sexuality。 When the two boys meet， there are undeniably sparks between them， but his scares Luke。 He's afraid that if ANYONE finds out that he's gay， he'll be disowned by his family。 Emmett tries to break him out of his shell， but it causes stress on their relationship to constantly be in hiding。Packed with country music references， adorable banter， and a mystery surrounding a Dolly Parton like figure， A Little Bit Country is not to be missed。 After reading it， I can't wait to go to the real Wanda World - Dollywood！ 。。。more
Clara
，
I'm really glad I stuck with this， because I enjoyed the second half a lot more than the first， and the ending was just wonderful。 But that first half was a bit of a disappointment。 However， a lot of that came from things that I know especially bother me， so I could definitely see others enjoying it more。CW: homophobia， hospitalization， parental illness （multiple sclerosis）， infidelity， sexual harassment， racism， sexism I'm really glad I stuck with this， because I enjoyed the second half a lot more than the first， and the ending was just wonderful。 But that first half was a bit of a disappointment。 However， a lot of that came from things that I know especially bother me， so I could definitely see others enjoying it more。CW: homophobia， hospitalization， parental illness （multiple sclerosis）， infidelity， sexual harassment， racism， sexism 。。。more
Katie
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Sweet YA romance set at a fictional version of Dollywood。 🤠🌈
ethan
，
4。5 stars rounded down。 Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s for an eARC of this book！ All opinions are my own。TWs: homophobia and slursEmmett is a （suburban） city boy who wants to become country music’s biggest gay superstar。 Because of a last-minute dropout， Emmett is able to score a job at Wanda World， the amusement park dedicated to his country music idol， Wanda Jean Stubbs。 He’s hoping to be noticed by a scout and finally hit it off big time before his senior year of high sch 4。5 stars rounded down。 Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s for an eARC of this book！ All opinions are my own。TWs: homophobia and slursEmmett is a （suburban） city boy who wants to become country music’s biggest gay superstar。 Because of a last-minute dropout， Emmett is able to score a job at Wanda World， the amusement park dedicated to his country music idol， Wanda Jean Stubbs。 He’s hoping to be noticed by a scout and finally hit it off big time before his senior year of high school。Luke is a true country boy who wants to keep his family afloat， but also nurtures a dream of being a chef。 With the worsening condition of his mother， who has Multiple Sclerosis， and the cut work hours of his step-dad， getting food on the table isn’t the easiest。 When he has the opportunity to work in a real kitchen at Wanda World， he takes it。 He has to keep his new job a secret， though: Years ago， Wanda snubbed Luke’s grandmother and left her to die in obscurity， and his family has held a grudge against her ever since。This book is at once whimsical and also grounded， and I thought that the duality was handled very well。 On one hand， Luke’s mother won’t let anyone play country music in the house à la Disney-evil-mother， but on the other， Luke struggles with severe internalized homophobia and homophobic peers on a daily basis。 Emmett has a determined dream of making it big in country music and gets scouted at his first open mic， but he’s told he has to compromise his identity to make it big。 This book tackled real-world issues while also injecting a little bit of fairytale-esque magic into the world of country music， and I thought it was very charming。The romance between Luke and Emmett did not have as much development as I would have liked， they seem to move very fast， but the two characters separately are compelling and distinct enough that I didn’t really mind。 Luke’s struggle to accept himself and be comfortable with being gay was really moving to read about， and Emmett’s steadfast confidence in his identity was equally powerful。 I like how this book doesn’t push the idea that coming out is the only way for a queer person to be happy， and I thought the hopeful ending was deserved， and not forced。 I also thought that the supporting characters were given just enough development and screentime without becoming distracting （I love Aunt Karen so so much。 She deserves everything！） I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a sweet romance with compelling social commentary on what it means to be gay in a sometimes hostile environment。 。。。more
The Candid Cover （Olivia & Lori）
，
Review to come！
Magen
，
This was super cute and emotional！ There was just enough plot mixed in with the romance。 Coming out is such a personal， individual experience and we really get to see that in both Emmett and Luke。 I loved both of them and their sweet， complicated families and friend groups。 Their romance was very sweet， I really enjoyed it！ I look forward to reading more from this author。 Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。
Tobias Kashman
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3。5 rounded up due to the fact that this is a debut novel and I think the author is very talented。I was easily sold on this book， I hardly heard anything about it and couldn't wait to read it。 But if I'm being honest， I enjoyed this book but not enough as I wished I would。 The writing style was amazing， the emotions felt real and the story structure flowed naturally with the plot and not at all forced。 I knew going into it this was a romance。 But there were moments I genuinely believed it was go 3。5 rounded up due to the fact that this is a debut novel and I think the author is very talented。I was easily sold on this book， I hardly heard anything about it and couldn't wait to read it。 But if I'm being honest， I enjoyed this book but not enough as I wished I would。 The writing style was amazing， the emotions felt real and the story structure flowed naturally with the plot and not at all forced。 I knew going into it this was a romance。 But there were moments I genuinely believed it was going to end tragically and beautifully leaving us to wonder what could've happened between the two main characters。 But instead it was a happy ending that I still enjoyed just as much。 Even though it didn't feel as rich an ending as it could've been， it was still somewhat enjoyable。 I also liked that the romance wasn't perfect and the characters recognized flaws in themselves and each other， it felt very real。 But the internal monologues felt repetitive and overall were some of the weaker points in the novel。 Regardless， the author is very talented and I'm sure will only get better with time and his book is definitely worth checking out。 。。。more
Kellie Fontecchio
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I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review。 I will say first。 I LOVE this cover。 I first saw it months ago and immediately put this book on my TBR。 Then I read the description and was super excited。 The actual book and what I thought it was going to be are quite different， but in a good way。 I was hoping for more of a cute little fun Romance/Psuedo Mystery novel， and I ended up getting more of a coming of age， down on your luck but eventually we claw our way out， kinda story。 I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review。 I will say first。 I LOVE this cover。 I first saw it months ago and immediately put this book on my TBR。 Then I read the description and was super excited。 The actual book and what I thought it was going to be are quite different， but in a good way。 I was hoping for more of a cute little fun Romance/Psuedo Mystery novel， and I ended up getting more of a coming of age， down on your luck but eventually we claw our way out， kinda story。 There are allusions to homophobia， inner homophobia， microagressions， racism， adultery， poverty， etc。 So some deep stuff， which hindered the romance for me。 However was still very good。 I just guess in my mind I was thinking this would be as more a romantic comedy rather than a YA LGBTQ+ novel。 But once I realized the direction it actually was headed， I was able to appreciate it immensely for what it was。 I will say， the only thing that I would have liked is maybe had the Characters be just a tad older。 They are both 17， but like。。I dunno some of the situations they get into at 17 seemed a bit too much， but maybe I was just a boring 17 year old。 。。。more
Joanna Szabo
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A charming， quirky YA contemporary with Dollywood vibes and *almost* more secondhand embarrassment than I can handle。 The dual point of view was a great choice， allowing both characters time to shine as well as adding to the wonderful buildup between Luke and Emmett。 This book is going to be really important to a lot of kids。 I received a digital advance copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。
Susan
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3。5 stars。 I enjoyed this debut novel by Brian D。 Kennedy， although I found the love story to be the weakest part of the book。 Emmett is an aspiring country music singer， fortunate enough to land a last-minute spot in the summer "Wanda's Good Time Jamboree" that takes him from Chicago to Jackson Hollow， Tennessee， site of a Dollywood-like amusement park。 He's ready to be noticed by a talent scout who will offer him a big recording contract as the first gay country superstar。 Luke is a Jackson Ho 3。5 stars。 I enjoyed this debut novel by Brian D。 Kennedy， although I found the love story to be the weakest part of the book。 Emmett is an aspiring country music singer， fortunate enough to land a last-minute spot in the summer "Wanda's Good Time Jamboree" that takes him from Chicago to Jackson Hollow， Tennessee， site of a Dollywood-like amusement park。 He's ready to be noticed by a talent scout who will offer him a big recording contract as the first gay country superstar。 Luke is a Jackson Hollow native who takes a dishwashing job at a Wanda World restaurant after his ex-girlfriend tells him about the opening。 He dreams of opening his own restaurant someday， but his main concern for now is helping to support his family， including a mother with a chronic disease and a stepfather whose shift work hours are in danger of being cut。 Luke has to keep his new job a secret， though， because there's bad blood between his family and the actual Wanda Jean Stubbs。 Years ago， Luke's grandma ran away with Wanda's husband and became a pariah in the country music world。 Wanda went on to basically become Dolly Parton， and Luke's grandma died in obscurity。 Despite a meet-cute involving the back end of a donkey costume， Luke and Emmett's relationship develops slowly。 Emmett likes Luke， but worries that he's spending time with him that should be devoted to his music。 Luke likes Emmett， but he is deeply closeted and afraid that his family will turn against him if he comes out。 Plus even if he were to acknowledge his relationship with Emmett， he could never be with someone who is associated with the woman who is persona non grata to his family。I liked Emmett and Luke separately， and their attempts to reach for their personal dreams are poignant and heartfelt， especially for Emmett who has to decide if he can compromise his plans by hiding his queerness from country music fans。 Luke's connection to his family is admirable， and his ambivalence between acknowledging his relationship with Emmett and keeping it a secret from his deeply religious （and sick） mother is easy to sympathize with。 There are several funny scenes， most of which involve the singular Wanda Jean herself。 But I never quite felt that the two boys were truly in love。 Maybe it was the fact that almost all of their encounters were furtive and secretive。 Maybe it was the fact that Luke was downright awful to Emmett on several occasions when their relationship was almost revealed。 Mostly though it was the lack of substantial interaction between them。 A few conversations and some kissing didn't convince me that they were soul mates。 Their personal journeys were more carefully detailed and compelling。 The truth about Wanda Jean and Luke's grandma is finally revealed in a surprising way， and Luke and Emmett end up with a nice HFN ending。 I wouldn't mind reading a sequel that shows what happens when Emmett goes back to Chicago， but I would want more of a focus on the two boys together。 ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review。 。。。more
Ty Donald
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This was such a cute YA novel about young love and the journey to being your authentic self。 I loved the way the characters were written and I loved the development of Emmett and Luke。
Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell
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GAY COUNTRY MUSIC THEMED ROMANCE
Nicole
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For fans of Out of Character， What If It’s Us， The Gravity of Us， Be Dazzled， and The Extraordinaries
Anna Marie
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Thank you， Balzer + Bray， for allowing me to read A Little Bit Country early。 I loved A Little Bit Country from the moon and back。 Such a beautiful love story and cute comfort read。 This is definitely one of my favorite queer young adult books of 2022！！ I’m going to promote this wonderful book wherever I can！
Austin Shay
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I cried。 I honestly cried at the end of the book。 The journey of Luke and Emmett is beautiful and I can honestly say that this was a nice change on the normal romance plot - while they did break things off toward the end of the book it still didn’t feel like the massive blow up that we see in other romance novels。 This was a gentle I have to put my family first moment and Emmett was actually okay with it。 I mean he was still heartbroken but he was okay with it。 The ending when Luke introduced hi I cried。 I honestly cried at the end of the book。 The journey of Luke and Emmett is beautiful and I can honestly say that this was a nice change on the normal romance plot - while they did break things off toward the end of the book it still didn’t feel like the massive blow up that we see in other romance novels。 This was a gentle I have to put my family first moment and Emmett was actually okay with it。 I mean he was still heartbroken but he was okay with it。 The ending when Luke introduced his boyfriend to his family at dinner made me cry a little bit。 He was just proud in the moment and it was something the queer youth should see more frequently。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Little Bit Country
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Little Bit Country&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Little Bit Country&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0